The sunflower has shown suitability as an option in crop rotation and succession planting in grain producing regions, and when grown as an intercrop, proves to be an interesting choice for integrated crop-livestock systems. The aim of this work was to evaluate the agronomic performance of intercropping the sunflower with Brachiaria ruziziensis at different sowing times and spacing between rows. The experiment was carried out at the experimental area of the Centro Universitário da Grande Dourados, UNIGRAN, in the town of Dourados, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The experimental design was of randomised blocks in a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (three sowing times, two spacings between rows, 0.45 and 0.90 m, and two cropping systems, as monocrop and intercropped with brachiária between rows), with four replications. The agronomic characteristics evaluated in the EMBRAPA 122 variety of sunflower were plant height, head diameter, number of achenes per head, 100-achene weight, productivity and oil content. The intercropped sunflower and brachiaria system sown on 8 March promoted greater productivity, and that sown on 21 February, greater plant height, stem diameter and head diameter. The oil content and 100-achene weight were greater when sown on 8 and 23 March. The spacing of 0.90 m resulted in a larger quantity of achenes per head.
Sunflower; Grass Brachiaria; Sowing
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